APM Inspires Malawians In An End Of Year 2016 & 2017 New Year’s Address (Full Text Here)

END OF YEAR 2016 AND 2017 NEW YEAR’S ADDRESS TO THE NATION BY HIS EXCELLENCY,

PROFESSOR ARTHUR PETER MUTHARIKA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI

ON 31ST DECEMBER 2016

Dear Malawians

I would like to wish you a Happy New Year. May 2017 be a prosperous year for every one of you.

I wish you and your families prosperity, because the prosperity of a nation begins with the prosperity of individuals. It is from what you and I achieve that will determine our collective prosperity as a nation.

The job of Government is to create an environment for individuals to prosper. In the reality of life, there may never be a perfect environment because challenges are part of life. But we must resolve to do our best even when everything is determined against us.

On my part, I commit to continue providing effective leadership and I will make the necessary changes we need to make 2017 a year of progress. We will do our best to create an improved environment. And I look forward to a better year to come.

However, the environment that Governments create is like rain from heaven. Rain falls in everyone’s field. But only those who prepare their fields, plant and harvest.

The year 2017 comes to us all, but prosperity comes only to those who set their minds positively. A positive mindset determines positive results.

My Fellow Malawians,

There are some people in this country whose job is to spread negative perception every day. Their goal is to ensure that you and I are driven by a negative mindset.

Every day, they want you to believe that we are failures. They want to undermine our determination to succeed by making us believe that we are failures. But I say to you, never think like a failure.

They want you to believe that nothing is happening, simply to undermine everything that is happening. And I say to you; neverallow anyone to make you undermine your country.

In the year 2017, let us rise above and say no to negative mindset! The ability to achieve greater goals is founded on a more positive mindset.

Dear Malawians

Let us come into the New Year with a positive Economic Mindset. For every problem, there is a solution. For every challenge, there is an opportunity.

Most countries have built great economies out of ruins. The fact that you are faced with challenges is not a reason to be hopeless. After all, hope comes where there are challenges. And courage comes where there is fear.

Economists at the International Monetary Fund have projected that in 2017, the global economy will grow at the rate of 3.4% and the Malawian economy will exceed that and hit 5% growth. IMF also projects that inflation will make a drastic fall in Malawi. Let us continue working hard. Malawi is a land of opportunities and we should all be proud of that.

As individuals, we must believe in our capacity. We must have the right investment mindset. Coupled with the various public sector reforms and zero tolerance to corruption, Malawi has become one of the most attractive places to invest. While Foreign Direct Investment is on the rise, I want to encourage my Fellow Malawians to take advantage of the improved investment environment and invest.

In our individual lives, families and businesses, no matter how little, we all have something we can build on and invest.

Most of us have assets that we can turn into capital. I know a boy who walked from his village to the city and sold his old radio to start a humble business. Out of that radio, he became a vendor and today he is big in businesses.

Most of us can do better than we think. With self-confidence and determination, you can make 2017 a year of personal achievement.

I get inspired by personal stories I see in many persons with disabilities. For them, disability is not inability. These are inspiring lives.

I have seen a man with visual disability – a man who cannot see, growing crops in his field, building a house and improving his household.

This visually impaired person is able to rise beyond his challenges because he has the strong will and a positive mindset. This is the determination that we need to make 2017 a year with a difference.

My Fellow Malawians

I want thank different Malawians who made the Year 2016 a success in its own way.

We managed the drug crisis and theft that haunted our hospitals in the previous years.

We have managed the hunger situation much better than we did in 2015 and 2014. I want to thank the various humanitarian organizations for supporting us to ensure that the most vulnerable Malawians get food. Nobody, and I repeat, Nobody is going to die of hunger. As I speak, we have enough stocks to take the country into the next season.

I want to thank our police for improving national security and taking down crime rate. I also thank all persons and agencies that worked with our police to protect people with albinism.

Let me come to corruption. I want to thank all Malawians who are concerned with corruption. Your concerns are my concerns. Thank you for rejecting, resisting and reporting corruption.

I know that some people are making every effort to make it look like my Government is the most corrupt on earth in order to blackmail us from pursuing them.

But I also know there are some of you who get concerned with corruption and theft of public funds because you love your Government and your country.

I know that there are both patriotic and political motives in the debate on corruption. But this is the bottom line: fighting corruption is long drawn war. Every war is fought in battles, and so far, we have won all court cases on cashgate. More battles are in, or on the way to the courts of law. The war against corruption is on, and we will win it. When we come after you, never say I am persecuting anyone.

In conclusion, I am looking forward to the new year with better implementation and performance. I want to see swift action and better results. I want to see more discipline in the public sector. I want a clean public service. I want efficiency. I want effectiveness. I will not hesitate to make performance-related changes, if I am not convinced you are doing your best.

Let us all go into the New Year to live a purpose-driven life, to be performance-driven and to be result-oriented. Remember, the future of this nation is built on patriotism, integrity and hard-work.

45 Responses to "APM Inspires Malawians In An End Of Year 2016 & 2017 New Year’s Address (Full Text Here)"

I really feel sorry for this president. He always makes promises that he will change things for the better yet doing nothing. I have this special advice to him. It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises only performance is reality. If you keeping on saying those words, those cosmetic explanations and those pathetic promises without taking actions the things you want to change will not change mr president. They will stay as they are and you will continue your talk. Sorry Sir. The best thing you can do is resign and let able people takeover. It is not a crime to do so. People will respect you sir.